- Maya Vik, musician 

When faced with the choice of joining the boy’s scout or playing guitar, the answer was easy for Maya Vik. The bass player and model stand out with her colorful wardrobe and funky musik, something we at Carlings are eager to front! Get better acquainted with one of the cooles women in Norway.

How did you get into music?

–      I got into music when I was about 14-15 years old. I bought a guitar, and I come from a really small town in Norway, so there wasn’t a lot to do. There was the boys scout, or the rock and roll club, so that’s what I wanted to do. I looked up to the older boys playing guitar. So, that’s how I started. The journey has been slow, but good.

What is the most exciting event you have played?

–      I’ve done a few gigs as a support act for Lenny Kravitz and Dam-funk (?). Dam-funk is a huge funk producer and artist. So, I played a gig in LA at his club, and it was probably the best gig that I played, and the best atmosphere and audience and everything. That’s the one I go back to, thinking “this is how it’s supposed to be”.

How was it going from a group to a solo act?

–      Going from a group to being a solo artist was a huge step. First of all, I didn’t know how to sing. I basically learned how to sing in the studio, recording my first album. That was a huge step.  It is a big physical step, since you now have to be in front of the stage instead of in the back, “just being the bass guitarist”. I was super nervous! The first gig I was super wasted, I don’t remember anything. It was a slow buildup, just to manage to go on stage and being the frontperson. You’re supposed to talk to the audience, and you’re supposed to be the one that people actually come to see. It’s just you instead of a whole group. It was pretty scary.

How do you like being a solo artist?

–      I like it! Just the fact that you control most of it yourself. It depends on me, if I do a good job, it’s because of me, and my musicians of course, but it’s mine more than the five others.

What does music bring to your life?

–      Music is everything. Sorry, it’s like a cliché. Most of my good and bad memories, everything is connected to music. If you’re heartbroken and you play this song over and over again, it brings all these memories later in life. And the same goes for when I am super happy. When I gave birth to my first daughter, I had this long playlist, and those songs give me so much good memories. And bad memories...(laugh). But good memories that I can feel. A Lot of emotions are attached to different songs. I can see myself growing up through different songs. It defines you in a way. So, I think music is super important for everybody, even if you don’t know it. It’s not a concuss thing, maybe. Maybe it’s in your subconsciousness.

What do you like to write songs about?

–      It’s mostly love songs.  Even though I don’t have complicated relationships, that’s the songs I write the most. And it’s mostly really complicated in the songs, but then again, it’s not. I try to always write about things that are real, and not made up events. But I might make small matters bigger than they are. So that you get a little glimpse into my personal life.

Describe a day in your everyday life

–      I wake up at 04.30 with the baby, I make breakfast... It’s like really normal. Making breakfast, kinder garden, back home. Now I have a home studio, so I get in my track suit, I go back to the kinder garden, make dinner. But I have to say, I have the best job. Being able to go and play concerts or do something in the studio with other producers or musicians, it’s something that I won’t take for granted. I can do all the normal stuff yet go to work and do what I love. And it’s such a cool job. I feel very lucky. When I go back to the normal life, I like the balance of it. You can have them both without compromising.

Where do you find inspiration?

–      I find inspiration in a lot of things. For my music it’s mostly other artist. I’m a huge fan of Prince, and I’ve always been, since I can remember. So, I would say that a lot of my musical inspiration and the reason why I do what I do and play the kind of music I do is because of him. I’ve talked so much about it, so it feels like a cliché, but Prince and other artist I used to listen to as a kid is my main inspiration in music. When it comes to style, I think it goes hand in hand, the music and the style, especially when you’re an artist. So, it comes from the same artist. Looking at photos, looking at videos and of course Instagram. When it comes to style, you can always go on Instagram and find basically everything. It’s a fine line between going back to old photos and searching for stuff. And more like random inspiration that comes into your life, social media and other people as well as my kids.

–      I use a lot of colors. At least I think so. I try to be more playful and not follow fashion or trends, but rather make clothes into something fun and reflect how I feel.

–      When dressing in colors, there’s no rules. Way back you weren’t supposed to wear pink and red together, which is stupid, of course you can! You can wear the colors you like, it depends on how you feel. I can wear different colors on pants, shirt, shoes, bag, without thinking it through. It’s more the fact that I like the individual pieces, more than I create a full picture. I don’t think about a full look, I think about the pieces. It’s like, “I like that sweatshirt and I like that skirt, I like these shoes”, and then I put it on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but at least it’s fun.

Tell us about the first piece of clothing you bought for yourself

–      I remember buying some shoes. Big, chunky and tall boots, and the soles were really chunky. I remember saving up for these shoes for months, and I remember the feeling of going there and paying for them myself, the joy. I still have them. I found them a few years ago, and I got all the memories of paying for them and the joy it gave me. Now they're super fashionable as well, chunky boots.

–      I have a lot of clothes from my mom.

In what way is denim a part of your everyday life? / What’s your favorite piece of denim?

–      I use denim jackets, I have a few. The Levi’s jeans, 501, is a classic. I have some that are vintage, some that are new. You can wear them to whatever, and they’re great pieces to style with either some great shoes or different colored tops. They are just classic pieces that you need in your wardrobe.

What is the key item of your wardrobe?

–      The key item of my wardrobe is jackets. I have maybe five or six different leather jackets, I haven’t worn them for one or two years, but I just can’t get rid of them. Jackets are my collector's item. I also have a lot of shoes. You can always pimp up an outfit with some great shoes.

Is there something you want to add?  

–      Follow your dreams. That’s a pretty nice cliché but do it! That’s what I did with music, and there’s a lot of dreamers out there. Just do it.